Use of Property

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It Belongs To The Landlord

The following is for information only and should not be taken as law.
Please refer to the appropriate jurisdiction in your area.

There was once given a definition of a tenant; “A person who is incapable of living in a house of their own”. Sorry to say but, all too often this definition rings true. Many tenants do not possess the will or the skills to properly use and maintain the property in their care.

That said, A sincere thank you must go to the vast majority of tenants who do take their responsibilities seriously.

• All of the tenants living in the rental unit are bound by the terms of the lease and the terms of the Residential Tenancy Act and share in the responsibilities.
• All tenants have responsibility to protect the landlord's property and are liable for any and all damage to or loss of the landlord's property and revenue.

Common Mis-uses of Property

Painting.

Landlords most often paint their rental units in neutral tones of light browns or buffs. This is in order to be suitable for the majority of tenants and to maintain a uniform standard which is less expensive to maintain. The cost of re-painting is kept to the minimum if only one coat of paint is needed. If the tenant paints the suite a different color, most often a second coat of paint is required which more than doubles the cost of repainting. Re-paint over dark shades, which is most often the case, and the costs could very easily triple. Take into account that each coat takes 1 day, the landlord may be losing 2 days rent on top of the painting costs.

Another problem with tenants painting is that the vast majority of tenants do not know how to paint and do a very poor job. They have not the skill to ‘cut in’ the ceilings or around window and door frames and hence add to the expense of re-painting. Many tenants do not use drop cloths and hence, the carpets become spotted with paint.

The cost of a single coat re-paint is most often more than the 1/2 month security deposit which now forces the landlord to collect the balance from the vacating tenant. – Good luck!

Carpets.

Few and far between are the tenants who will maintain carpets to a reasonable degree. Few own a vacuum cleaner capable of doing the job properly. Even less know what a crevice tool is used for.

Landlords; there is no point fighting it. Dust and sand will work down into the underlay and hence decrease the life of the carpet. It's not the carpet you are having installed, it's the underlay, the least expensive part of floor covering. Install quality underlay and the carpets will last longer. You will save money!

Secondly; Have as part of your rental agreement, professional carpet cleaning once each year (traffic areas only by your contracted service only) on the tenancy anniversary. This helps maintain your carpets plus allows for intermediate inspection of the rental unit. You will save money!

Appliances.

On average, the appliances in rental units have twice the repair costs and 2/3 the useful life than appliances in the average home. Mostly due to lack of care and proper cleaning.

• Ovens need cleaning at least twice per year, should be monthly with spills cleaned as they happen.
• Range tops should be wiped daily and burner pots cleaned weekly.
• Do not use tin foil to line ovens or burner pots, they can short out the elements causing damage to both the elements and the controls.
• Fridges need cleaning monthly. Do not over fill especially the freezer compartment. In most models, cold air circulates through the freezer before redirection to the fridge. Without proper circulation, ice builds in the coils and stops the fan and items in the freezer will thaw.
• Make sure all items placed in the fridge or freezer are in spill proof containers. So often the half bag of peas is overturned in the freezer and peas find their way into the coils and fan.
• Wipe the rim of the dishwasher after loading before each wash. Wash only food safe dishes and cutlery, not tools and toys or laundry. Use only manufacturer approved dishwasher compound, not dish soap nor laundry detergent nor bleach.
• Do not allow the children to use the dishwasher door or the cabinet drawers as a step to reach the counter.
• The in-sink-erator is not a garbage disposal unit.
• The washing machine can only properly clean a maximum weight of clothing, don't overload and remove metal and plastic objects before washing.
• USE LESS SOAP!
• The dryer was meant for clothing, not your work boots or car mats.
• Clean the lint screen after every load. Do not operate the dryer without a lint screen, it could cause a fire.

Permissions.

Did you get the landlord's permission to:

• Paint
• Attach that electric can-opener under the top cabinets? Now you've made holes.
• Remove or exchange the cabinet knobs.
• Change the dining room or bedroom light fixture with a ceiling fan? Did a qualified electrician install it?
• Disconnect the smoke detector in the kitchen because it sounded every time you burned toast?
• Erect a tarpolin cover on your balcony so you were protected from the rain? How did you attach it, with screw hooks?
• Install an air conditioner in your bedroom window. Does it detract from the aesthetics of the complex?
• Build a window box under the kitchen window? Have the nails or screws you used to attach it compromised the weather proofing of the exterior.
• Erect a dish receiver on your patio or roof? Will the stand wear on the roof membrane or roofing tiles?

Carelessness.

Basic not caring or oversights that many tenants do or don't do.

• Place the toaster under the cabinets and burn the top cabinet bottoms or doors
• Use nails and screws to hang pictures leaving holes in the walls. Or, use stick-on hangers which peel off the paint when removed.
• Allow the children to hang posters etc. with tape. (Tape often peels paint)
• Place the BBQ to close to the exterior and burn or otherwise damage the siding.
• Won't have the carpets cleaned professionally.
• Litter. It is a national disgrace, but even more so when people litter where they live and few even train their children not to litter.
• Discard unwanted furniture and electronic items in or at the garbage. Sorry it is not garbage. It is unwanted furniture, your own responsibility to dispose of. Likewise Christmas trees.
• Unwillingness to recycle or use the recycling containers properly.